1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a braking control system and braking control method for a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an existing braking control system for a vehicle, a braking force is automatically generated to avoid colliding with an object, such as a preceding vehicle, when it is determined that a collision with the object is likely. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-175809 (JP-A-2003-175809) describes a braking control system for a vehicle in which a gradually increasing braking force is generated when it is predicted that avoidance by braking and/or steering will be impossible after a specified time elapses, and a larger braking force is generated when avoidance by braking and/or steering actually becomes impossible.
The system described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-175809 (JP-A-2003-175809), however, does not discuss how to release the braking force after automatic braking is started and when a collision is avoided through a steering operation by the driver. If the automatic braking is canceled abruptly, the behavior of the vehicle may become unstable.